Fluid-pressure regulator



(No Model.)

P. ERB. FLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR.

10.595,614.. Patented Dec. 14, 1897.

Wilnesses: Inventor: /M 33m/gl 'me mums paens co.. nom-urne., wAsmNsTQn n c UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

PARIS ERB, lor LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,614, dated December 14, '1897.

Application filed 'october 2, 1896.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARIS ERB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas- Governors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in a gas governor or regulator of that class in which an inverted cup or ioat with an open end edge submerged constantly toa practically uniform depth in a sealing liquid is adapted, by means of the gas-pressure from the supply-main, to operate over the inlet end a valve in such a manner as to regulate or control the gas-flow from said main to the distributing tubes or pipes and in which provision is made to maintain the submerged edge of the valve-operating iioat always at a practically uniform depth in said sealing liquid.

The object of the invention is the production at a minimum cost of construction of a simple yet effective gas-governor, whereby the excessive pressure from the gas-main will be utilized 'to operate a valve over its inlet end, so as to automatically control or regulateA the gas-flow that no more gas will be admitted to the distributing pipes or tubes than the burners can readily consume, and to provide an independent disk io'at or liquid-displacing weight that will constantly maintain a practically uniform depth of sealin g liquid about the submerged open edge of the valveoperating oat.

The elements of the invention will severally and at large appear in the following description and will be separately and collectively set forth in the claim.

The purposes of theinvention are attained by the mechanism and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, similar reference letters and figures designating similar parts throughout-the several views, and in Which- 1 Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of a gas-governor embodying the elements of the invention, showing them in the.

Serial No. 607,638. (No model.)

positions they assume when there is no excessive pressure from the gas-main. Fig. 2 is a partially-,completed View from the right of Fig. l with the L-fitting removed from the inlet end. Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 2 completed, with portions of the covering-cap, the valve-operating ioat, and the independent Adisk float or weight removed; and Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the disk float detached from Figs. l and 3.Y

A practically L-shaped tubular body A of approved dimensions, comprising two branches A and A2, perpendicular to each other, has rigidly secured to the top of one of said branches, as A', a circular disk'or diaphragm A3, and so placed with reference thereto that the other branch A2 shall have its axis at the center of said disk and perpendicular therewith, with the outer end of the vformer brauch A flush or even with the peripheral edge thereof, the branch A2 constituting the inlet-tube and the branch A the outlet. The disk is also provided peripherally with an upwardly-projecting ring flange or wall a, having a prescribed height, and at its center with an upwardly-projecting column or post a', of prescribed dimensions, having at its center an approved axial bore a? for the passage of a valve stem or rod, to be hereinafter described, as well as for the ow of gas therethrough, while the wall is provided exteriorly about its upper or open end with a shallow offset or ring recess c3, having on one side thereof an outwardly-projecting arm with a downwardly-curving lip at its outer end, constituting a side hook d4, and on the opposite side thereof is an outwardly-projecting bracket-arm d5, having an eye vertically through its body, as shown.

All the parts or elements thus far described are shown to be integrally joined as in one castin g, which may be of any approved metal, but cast-iron is preferred, and they constitute the supporting-base of the governor. To coverl the same, an inverted cup or cap A4, having preferably a flattened circular top with a downwardly-projecting ring flange or wall 01,6, integral therewith at the peripheral edge thereof and exteriorly rounded,- as shown,

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said wall a having interiorly or at its lower or open end a shallow offset or ring recess fitting onto the ring-recess a3, before mentioned, but not so closely as to prevent the passage of air through the joint,` being provided exteriorly with a downwardly-projecting staple-bracket or eyed arm A5, engaging the hooked arm a4, before mentioned, holding the two together at this point, while on the opposite side thereof is an outwardly-projecting bracket-arm A6, with a verticaleye through its body, said arm resting on the upper face of the arm a5, before mentioned, their eyes registering with each other, through which the shackle of any approved padlock (not shown) may serve to lock them together.

It will here be noted that the elements thus far described constitute the casing of the go vernor, comprising the L-shaped tubular portion A, before mentioned, and the float-housing chamber A7, just completed.

In the outlet end of the branch A is shown ak portion of a tube l, conducting theb gas-{iowtothe branch or distributing tubes supplying the burners in the usual way, while the inlet end of the branch A2, provided with externa-l serew-threads,as shown is preferably secured into the upwardly-projecting wing of an Lvshaped fitting 2,having its other Wing screwed onto the end of a horizontally-disposed` tube or pipe 3, directly connected with, the supply or feed main, so that the gas-flow from said main may not pass in a straight or direct line into the tubular portion A of the governor. Partially driven or embedded into said inlet end, closely fitting, is a tubular ringB, of some soft, metal, such as brass, with itsprojecting end b curving exteriorly, as` shown, deiiecting the gas-flow downwardly and aiding materially in breaking its 'direct iniiow,

while the lower end edge of said ring constitutes a seat, in connection with which a valve, yet to be described, performs its functions.

Now for the purposes of theinveution-that is, to open and close the inlet end in the branch tube A2, whereby the iiow of gas thereinto will be under absolute and automatic control-a valve C of approved dimensions.

through the central orifice c' of a disk float` or weight (Y, has its upper end rigidly secured through the center to the top of an inverted cup-float C2, with the lower or open end edge of its.downwardly-projecting peripheral rim, ring-fiangc, or wall c2 submerged to the necessary depth in t-he required mass or quantity of any approved sealing-liquid CB, covering the entire top surface of the diaphragm A3 included between its rim-wall a and its central post a. It will here be noted that the Weight or disk float C is providedwith a fiat or level bottom face to rest on the mercury, that at its center is an upwardly-projecting socketA or recess c3 for the reception of the column ct/ before mentioned, and that the central orifice c in being engaged by the valvestem c, as shown, serves to keep said disk diametrieally in place.

It will here be observed that the use of 111ercury or quicksilver as the sealin g huid is preferred in this invention on account of its great specific gravity and on account of its non-liability to evaporate or to oxidize and that the disk or weight iioat is introduced to keep the depthof its submergence always uniform about the lower or open end edge of the rim-wa-llc2 of saidfloat- C2. The specific gravity of mercury being 13.6 and that of eastiron 7 .1, a ratiofpractically as of two to one, it will be readily seen that the former will iioatthey latter Withabout the displacement illustratedL inl Fig. 1, which also shows, the depth to which the rim-wall, 020i the {loa-ty C2 isimmersed in the mercury, andto maintain this depth of immersion practically the same the float C2, rising or falling in raising or lowering theV valve, constitutes the chief. feature of this invention, andthe importance of which lies in the fact that the float C2 will always rise or fall under aconstant or steady weight, imparting to ita uniform or regular rate of l motion'.

Now the several elements hereinbefore described and occupying the several positions indicated in the drawings, with the iioat C2 weighted in the usual way (wellknown to the trade) to the degree-of gas-pressurefatI which it should rise, and the gas flowing in the di.- rection indicated by the line of arrowst, au inspection thereofv clearly shows, irst,vthat should there be any excessive pressure from the. supply-main, forcing more gas into and through the portion A than the burnerswill y readily consume, said excessive pressure in acting upwardly through the bore a2 and the orifice'c' will exert a lifting force against the under face of the cup-float C2 and a depress-- ing-force on top of the weight or disk float C'; second, that by reason of saidlifting force the. float C2 will rise, raise` the valve C, and close the inlet, into the branchA2 in proportion to the degree of said excessive pressure, controlling or regulating the gas-How accordingly;` third, that by reason ofy said depressing force the weight-float C will move downwardly and press the mercury from its under face, causing said mercury to rise within the so'cket ca and in the space between its outer vertical face and the wall a of the casing according to the distance of said downward movement; fourth, that byl reason of fthis, rising-of the mercury in this latter space the depth of submergence of the float ringwall` c2 will loe-maintained; fifth, that byvreafson of the-downward force of the excessive 1pressure on the mercury within or under-V neath the float (J2 the mercury will rise to a greater height in the narrow space between `the walls-c and c2 according to the degree of dierence between said excessive pressure and the atmospheric pressure in said narrow space, and, sixth, that by reason of all these the invention proves to be an automatic gas governor or regulator in which the valve-op' immersed in said mercury, nor to the valve with the stem connecting the cup; but

What I do consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a gas-governor having a disk diaphragm with an upwardly-projecting peripheral ringwall and a prescribed column at the center thereof having an axial bore through its body rigidly secured to the top of a tubular portion having an inlet branch and an outlet branch perpendicular to each other with a valve adapted to open and close said inlet branch and an inverted cup with a stem through said axial bore yconnecting the cup and valve with a quantity of mercury iiooding said diaphragm between its peripheral wall and central column and immersing the open end of said inverted cup, a disk weight or float lying independently or unattached on top of said mercury, whereby the gas-pressure coming between the cup and Weight in raising the former Will depress the latter and displace the mercury from underneath said weight, substantially as described-and for the purpose-hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Y PARIS ERB. Witnesses:

DANIEL H. HERR, A. F. SHENCK. 

